Brothers
by Ellen Jeanette Allcorn
Summary: Luffy and his crew docks on an island when they meet a very unexpected person.
1. Chapter 1

He saw him out of the corner of his eyes. The little brother long since lost to him, running and laughing with his friends.

"Luffy?"

Luffy and the rest had docked at a small island that was famous for giving everyone, even pirates a good time.

"Come on guys! I wanna try the buffet!"

Monkey D. Luffy was walking fast then the rest of the crew but he stayed with them.

"Luffy we have to decide on what we are going to do first!"

The orange haired navigator Nami said sighing, but smiling. Luffy had been like this from the day she met him. Impulsive and hungry.

"Yeah Luffy, I for one want to go to the book store and look at the medical books!"

The ships reindeer doctor said.

"I would have to agree with Chopper on this Luffy."

Robin said earning a huge smile from the doctor.

"Well I want to go to the spas! I hear they are the best in the Grand Line! And then I want to shop!"

"I will go where ever you wish me to go Nami!"

Sanji called, already holding shopping bags that Nami and Robin had collected.

"I would like to try the buffet; I hear the food makes your stomach long for food like it for the rest of your life. Oh I don't have a stomach."

Luffy and Brook laughed at the bad joke.

"Franky, Zoro where do you think we should go first?"

Robin looked back at the two following the group.

"I don't care."

Franky said and Zoro didn't even answer, he was too busy watching the man who was following them. As first mate Zoro felt that he had to keep his oblivious caption safe. A hard job to be sure with Luffy running off all the time but worth it. Something about Luffy made people want to trust him and follow him, Luffy made every problem seem to disappear. Now Luffy had another person watching him. A bounty hunter? A marine? Whoever he was, he was following Luffy and no one else in their group.

"I am the caption and I say that we go to the buffet first!"

Nami started to complain but Luffy cut her off.

"Nami after we eat then you can go to the spa, okay?"

Nami smiled and said.

"Ah the spa can wait until tomorrow; today I'm in the mood to party!"

Luffy laughed and pulled his navigator in the direction of the restaurants.

A young man with short blond hair was following the Straw Hat crew. He had lost whatever type of guard that his parents had following him. The group was not as big as some other pirate crews but they were strong. Sabo has spent the last 11 years reading about Luffy and his crew in the papers, first it was small things, "A pirate in a straw hat takes down Marine Captain Morgan." and then bigger things, things that caused shock and awe among the people of Grey Terminal, at least the people who survived the fire and still remembered the three trouble makers. Looking at the eight people surrounding his beloved younger brother, the only true brother he had left, Stelly would never be counted as his brother, and Sabo was filled with happiness that Luffy was still able to smile in the aftermath of Ace's death. The orange haired girl hit Luffy on the head and he came up laughing and smiling just as he did when they were kids. Sabo smiled slightly at the memories.

"Hey Sabo what are you doing over here with the...commoners?"

A friend of the family walked over. Out of everyone that Sabo was forced to be around he liked Belt the best. Belt wasn't as arrogant and self-centered as the rest of them; he would help Sabo sneak out of the house and down to Edge Town.

"You see that guy over there, the one with the straw hat?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you know who he is?"

"Well of course. He's Straw Hat Luffy; he's worth 400,000,000 everyone knows who he is."

"That's not all he is."

"It's not."

"No, Luffy is also my brother."

"What?"

"You know when I ran away and lived in Gray Terminal?"

"Yes."

"Well during that time Luffy, Ace, and I became brothers."

Belt knew all about Sabo and Ace, Sabo had told him two years ago when Fire Fist Ace had died.

"Why don't you go say hello?"

"No he thinks I'm dead and showing him I'm not won't help anything. Come on, we should get back my parents will be wondering."

Looking at these two walking through the streets, you could see the difference. Belt was like every other noble, skinny and pale. Sabo was the opposite, he was well toned from years of training and he spent most if not all of his time out in the sun so his skin was dark. This appearance difference made Sabo standout among the nobles of the Goa and that was just the way Sabo wanted it.

Luffy saw him leave, he didn't believe it and his mind rebelled against the thought of Sabo, Luffy didn't want to think of either of his brother's death. He stopped and watched the man with the blond hair leave.

"Luffy what's wrong?"

Chopper had seen Luffy stop.

"Nothing just thought I saw someone that can't be here."

"Why not?"

"He died 12 years ago."

"Oh I am sorry."

The buffet finally kicked the Straw Hats out mostly because they ran out of food, but also because the pirates were very rowdy, Brook took up his favorite song and everyone took up dancing. The crew was walking back to the ship when Luffy felt it, the hairs on the back of his neck stood up and Luffy knew someone was watching him again. He turned around and looked but could see nothing, see no one. He tried to sense them with Haki but again nothing.

"Luffy. What's wrong?"

"Zoro have you sensed someone following us?"

"Before the restaurant yeah, but not now why?"

"Though I saw someone just now."

The man following the crew was a bounty hunter. He knew that Luffy used Haki and he knew how to suppress his presences. He would watch them for another day and then he would take them as he slept, one by one until only Straw Hat was left. The bounty hunter smiled at the thought of the reward he would get for this job.


	2. Chapter 2

Luffy's mind went back to the man he had seen in town today.

"He really looked like Sabo."

Luffy said staring at the ceiling.

The rest of the crew were long since asleep and Luffy was still having trouble getting used to not sleeping in the same room as all the guys. The Merry Go didn't have enough room for everyone to have their own room but when Franky built The Thousand Sunny he had made a room for each person based on their personality. Luffy's room was simple, a hammock, a desk, a chair, and a punching bag so that Luffy could practice fighting. But what Luffy really liked about the room was something that was added recently. On one wall there was a painting, a painting of everyone one of Luffy's friends. From the people in Fuusha Village to people he had only just recently befriended. Luffy had asked Nami to find a painter to do this and had sent letters to everyone asking for pictures of them so that the painting was accurate. And much to his surprise Makino had also sent a picture of Ace, Sabo, and him when they were kids. Luffy sat up and looked at where the painter had put the three of them; they were all smiling over a giant alligator they had caught. The memory of the day made Luffy smile, this was the alligator that had nearly eaten him, and he had forgotten that Makino had been there that day and that she had taken a picture. Luffy laid back and closed his eyes. The last thought that crossed Luffy's mind was.

"He really looked like Sabo."

The bounty hunter was famous the rings of bounty hunters, the name he gave was Hunter; no one knew his true name. Hunter was waiting for the last light to disappear from the window. He knew how to wait, he knew he would only get one chance to take these pirates, if he failed they would be on alert and he would never take them. Hunter decided to take the time to check his equipment, knife, gun, and a mask, smoke bombs, all there all clean and functional. The smoke bombs were special, they would go off without a sound and send a poison throughout the ship, this poison wouldn't kill them, first it would wake them and then it would just make their reaction time a few seconds slower and that would be all he needed to take them down. Hunter was disappointed that he couldn't kill the caption but his main job was to take "Straw Hat" Luffy to the Marines, his employer wanted to make sure that the caption had a…public execution... It was one in the morning before the last light on the ship went out. Hunter smiled, it was a big ship with many rooms and corridors, and this was when the true hunt began. He swam out to the anchor chain and climbed up it, dropping on to the deck without a sound. He took a quick glance around, sometimes the swordsman would sometimes fall asleep on deck only to wake and defeat whoever it was that tried to take the crew. No one was on the deck as far had he could tell, he quickly climbed up to the crow's nest no one was there,

"They are making this much too simple."

Hunter said quietly.

He opened the door that leads into the ship; alone this corridor had five doors. Hunter knew that one led to a sitting room with a giant fish tank, one led to the infirmary, one led to the library, one to the kitchen, and one led to stairs. In the infirmary there was a door that leads to the room of the doctor of the ship.

"Too easy."

Hunter dropped a smoke bomb in this room and closed the door. He pulled the mask off his belt and pulled in on. He walked to the stairs pulling out another smoke bomb.

~Few Hour Back~

Sabo knew something was wrong, he just knew. Call it a brother thing if you want but Sabo knew he had to get Luffy. The only problem was, Stelly. Sabo had to share a room with him and Stelly had recently taken to telling their parents whenever Sabo went anywhere that they wouldn't like. And Stelly was watching Sabo pace.

"What is the matter with you? All you have been doing since we got back to the hotel."

"You wouldn't understand."

Was all Sabo said?

"What? I think you forget brother who is the smarter between us."

Sabo's fist clenched when Stelly called him brother same as it always had.

"This isn't something that the human brain can understand Stelly! This is something that no noble could understand!"

"Ah so your defense to me calling you stupid is that because you spent time surrounded by human shaped garbage?"

Sabo resisted the urge to punch Stelly, although it would help if he were knocked out for a few hours.

"No punching him would not help."

Sabo thought trying to block out his foster brothers words. There it was again, that feeling that Sabo had been having on and off since he found out about Ace's death. Soon after Sabo realized that it was something he had...inherited from Ace, it was worry for Luffy. The feeling was a near constant thing for a few months after Ace's death; Sabo figured that this was because of the injury Luffy sustained during the battle. And then after those months the feeling would flair up every so often, but never like this never this urgent.

"How did Ace live with this every time that Luffy was in trouble?"

Sabo stopped pacing around ten, due to a knock on the door. It was Sabo's father.

"Hello boys, Sabo your mother and I would like to talk with you in our room."

"Of course Father."

Sabo could not believe his luck; his own father was helping him get out of the room. Helping him get to Luffy.

"Sabo will you be alright here by yourself?"

"Of course Father."

Sabo inclined his head slightly and smiled.

It was way too easy to get out of the hotel, guards outside the door, but not the window. Now the only problem was finding the right ship, and that's only if they were staying on the ship. As Sabo ran he pulled out a small rod, pressed a button, and the rod expanded to six feet. He had always fought with a rod and he still remembered how to take out a man with it. Belt had gotten him this particular rod, he knew that Sabo's father wouldn't approve of his son having a weapon of any kind, so he had it special ordered so that it was easy to hide. The Straw Hat ship was surprisingly easy to spot; no other pirate ship would seem sooo...friendly.

"This is just Luffy's style."

Sabo said smiling and then he saw the smoke, heard the sounds of a battle.

~On Thousand Sunny~

They had woken, choking on smoke. Every crew member ran from their rooms in to the hallways.

"Get to the deck!"

Nami cried.

"Zoro get Chopper out of his room and on to the deck!"

Luffy said as Zoro's presence go past him.

"Got it!"

Luffy heard people running past him, but the smoke was too thick to see them, he was about to go sure that everyone had left when he heard someone fall.

"Nami!"

Nami's room was the farthest away from the stairs and she had stumbled on her heels.

"Luffy!"

Luffy ran towards Nami's presence, and even when Luffy was right next to him he still couldn't see her.

"Come on Nami." Luffy said. "We have to get on deck."

They burst out on to the deck, only to find more smoke.

"What is this stuff?"

Sanji asked somewhere to the right of them.

"Seems like some kind of nerve gas, it's not going to kill us but it's going to do something!"

Usopp answered.

"What?"

Robin called out coughing slightly.

"I don't know! Franky what do you think?"

"Yeah definitely a nerve gas might be targeting our response time."

"Does that mean I won't be affected?"

Brook asked.

"Don't know Skeleton?"

"Guy enough, it doesn't matter what this stuff is we just have to get out of it! Zoro how's Chopper?"

Luffy asked because he couldn't pinpoint Chopper's presence.

"I'm alright Luffy!"

This confused Luffy; he tried to find the presence of every one of the crew but could not.

"Guys my Haki isn't working!"

"My, my, my, this is new. I had no idea that my gas affected Haki."

A voice called out from the smoke and then Robin cried out.

"Robin!"

"One down, eight to go."

"What the..."

Usopp started and then was gone.

"Two down, this is way too easy."

Within two minutes, according to the voice, only Nami and Luffy were left.

"Straw Hat I thought you were strong. And yet you allow almost all your friends to disappear."

Nami cried out as she was pulled away from Luffy.

"NAMI!"

"You will see them be chained in Impell Down, you will see them suffer the punishments, and you will see them take the rage of Magellan, who will take out his hatred of you on them. You will see them die without being able to help them. Just as you saw your brother die."

Luffy snapped, he knew his Haki wasn't working but he didn't need it. He had beaten many others without it, with just his fist. He could take this guy down.


	3. Chapter 3

Sabo saw the smoke and he heard Luffy yelling.

A brown figure fell from the ship and hit the ground with a thud. This was a being out of nightmares, humanoid but covered in brown fur. It stood and Sabo took a step back, apparently this thing had heard him and looked up.

"Help." The creature stumbled forward. "You have to help. Were pirates, but we'll pay you." The creature was now standing in front of Sabo and its form started to change, it shrank and horns grew on its head. "Help...Luffy...please."

Sabo nodded

"Careful...nerve...gas"

Sabo nodded again and Chopper smiled as unconsciousness took him. Sabo took his shirt off and rip it in half, half he put over Chopper and the other half he tied around his nose and mouth.

Luffy could feel his strength failing, this guy was a good fighter. As the smoke curled up to the sky, Luffy could see the man who had attacked his crew. He had short brown hair and a long scar down the side of his face. As the bounty hunter came closer, Luffy's vision blurred. He blinked hard.

"Ah yes I forgot to tell you that if you inhale too much of my smoke your senses begin to shut down. It seems like you are beginning to feel that effect."

The bounty hunter smiled.

Luffy blinked again trying to force his eyes to focus on the man in front of him, they wouldn't.

"I have to beat this guy."

Luffy thought as he shot an old favorite at Hunter.

"Gum Gum Pistol!"

Hunter side stepped the attack easily.

"Well I think that I will win this battle. Already you are forced to use such a weak attack."

The bounty hunter smiled.

"Who said that was my only attack."

Luffy grabbed the railing.

"Gum Gum scythe!"

Luffy launched himself at Hunter with his arm out stretched. This caught the bounty hunter by surprise, but that didn't mean his didn't react. Hunter pulled out a knife and as Luffy rammed into him he jammed the knife into his side. Hunter stood and Luffy stayed curled on the ground.

"Hmm, that was a smart move, but it seems like I have wo-"

Hunter was cut off by a rod burring into his face. Sabo landed next to Luffy.

"Sabo? It can't be...It just can't be..."

Luffy tried to stand but Sabo pushed him down.

"Luffy don't."

"Ah and who is this? You aren't part of this crew."

"No I'm not part of the crew, I'm someone who would go to hell and back to protect Luffy."

"And who is that?"

"I'm his brother."

Sabo launched himself at the bounty hunter and attacked his just as he used to attack carnivorous animals with Ace and Luffy. It was difficult to adjust the style to one on one, but he managed. Luffy watched with disbelieving eyes.

"It can't be Sabo! He died when I was seven, he died Dogura saw it! It can't be Sabo!"

Luffy's mind rebelled against the thought of Sabo being alive. He had forced himself to believe that Sabo was dead long ago, he had forced himself to move on and train to become stronger! But there he was, fighting for Luffy's safety once more, and once again Luffy wasn't able to help him.

"No! Not again, I am not losing him again! Never again!" Luffy forced his body to obey him. "Not again."

Hunter looked at him, somehow he gained to advantage over Sabo and pushed him to the railings.

"Oh would you look at that. No wonder you have that huge price over your head."

"You made a mistake."

"Oh did I?"

"Luffy stop it! You're hurt. Let me fight this fight."

"You made a very big mistake."

"What mistake."

"You assumed that I fight my hardest all the time, you assumed that I would take you seriously from the start."

"What was the mistake?"

"I only fight my hardest when I HAVE SOMTHING TO LOSE!"

Hunter felt the full force of Gear Second hit him as Luffy pulled out all the stops. Sabo was frozen for a second by his younger brothers ferocity, Luffy had defiantly gotten much stronger.

"Luffy save some for me."

Sabo looked over to the other railing to see eight people standing.

"Guys!"

Luffy's face broke into a huge grin.

"Yeah Straw Hat, don't take all the fun out of this fight.

"How is this possible?"

"You made another mistake. I don't let weak people on my crew."

Luffy was still smiling.

"Chopper go help Luffy."

The young girl with orange hair told the small brow creature who had asked for his help.

"On my way."

"Ah Nami I want to fight him!"

"Sorry Luffy there's no one left to fight."

Four guys were walking away from the broken from of Hunter. But Luffy had already forgotten the bounty Hunter.

"Sabo."

Luffy stood and stared at his brother.

"Hey Luffy."

Much to Choppers eternal annoyance Luffy ran to Sabo and threw his arm around his brother. Sabo hugged Luffy back without a moment's hesitation.

"Luffy who is this?"

Luffy stepped back and looked at the black haired girl who had spoken.

"He's my brother."

The crew seemed to take this without question. But the orange haired girl asked

"Any other family that we should know about that we should know about?"

Luffy thought about it for a second.

"No."

"LUFFY SIT DOWN!"

Chopper had grown again.

"Okay, okay, no need to yell."

Luffy said sitting on the ground and shrugging his shirt off.


	4. Chapter 4

Luffy hadn't stopped smiling the rest of the night. Sabo was back and was just the same as he always was. Luffy was joking around with Usopp and Chopper and he looked over to see Sabo and Nami talking, well they both liked navigation so it was only natural that they would talk. Sabo looked over his shoulder and smiled.

"Hey Sabo, was Luffy a handful as a kid?"

Nami asked as she saw Sabo check on Luffy for the tenth time.

"Yeah, but only because he couldn't fight himself."

"Luffy couldn't fight?"

"Yeah me and Ace constantly had to save him."

Nami laughed at the thought a weak Luffy.

"Hey I was seven!"

Luffy had shot over to them.

"I see you finally found some use for that useless power of yours."

"Rubber has lots of uses! I bet I could take you down in half a second now."

"Oh you think so huh? Let's test this theory of yours."

"Yeah."

An all-out fight would have started if not for Nami, she hit them both over the head and they fell to the ground.

"No fighting on the ship Luffy."

She called over her shoulder as she walked away.

"Luffy you have one strong navigator."

"Yeah Nami's scary when she gets mad."

The two brothers looked at each other and smiled. Sabo fell back on to the grass covered deck and Luffy did the same.

"So what is the story with this crew?"

"What do you mean?"

"Luffy when pirates want a strong crew they just spread the word that they need a crew and they have hundreds in a day but you only have eight members. What's the deal?"

"Well I don't want mean people on my crew."

"Luffy you are one strange pirate."

"No I just don't like mean people."

Sabo laughed.

"Hey Sabo?"

"Yeah?"

"Dogura said that the ship you were on exploded. How did you survive?"

"Luck mostly. I saw that it was pointless to save the ship and jumped over bored right as the second shot hit. After that I swam to shore and was caught by my father, he took me back to the house and basically had me under house arrest for ten years."

"Really?"

"Yeah I couldn't leave the upper town and I always had a guard following me around."

"I bet that sucked."

"Oh you have no idea. The nobles say that the people who live in Grey Terminal are trash, but really the nobles are the trash."

"Nobles?"

Robin appeared above the two boys

"Yeah, in the place where we grew up the Nobles were crazy. They killed hundreds of people just because they wanted to impress the world nobles." Sabo said. "They still are in fact."

"And how do you know that?"

Sabo was instantly uncomfortable. Luffy propped himself up on one elbow and looked at his brother, when they were kids Sabo hated the fact he was a noble, apparently he still did.

"It's kind of hard to explain." Sabo sat up, rested his elbows on his knees, and bowed his head. "It's not something I like to talk about, in fact I would rather not even think about it." Sabo smiled sadly and Luffy sat up and leaned against his shoulder. "But the thing is, I can't get away from it. I can't ever get away from it."

"Get away from what."

"Nami! Leave it."

"Luffy, it's alright. They should know that your brothers the son of a noble."

This took a moment to fully sink in and then a collective response rang through the ship.

"WHAT!"

Sabo and Luffy laughed.


	5. Chapter 5

"WHAT!"

That was what was said by the crew of Straw Hat Luffy when Sabo revealed his dreaded secret. And all the while the two brothers sat on the ground laughing.

"Luffy! You didn't think this was something we should know!"

Nami said while the others regained their composer.

"No not really." Luffy threw his arm over the shoulders of his brother. "Sabo's always been just Sabo to me. Not the son of some noble."

The brothers looked at each other and smiled.

"Well as much as I would like to be just Sabo I unfortunately am the son of a noble."

Robin regained enough to come and look at Sabo.

"You don't look like a noble."

"No I don't and I have worked really hard to keep it that way."  
Sabo said defensively.

Zoro stood above the two boys.

"Actually he looks more like a pirate then a noble."

Sabo's answer was cut off by a shout from the shore.

"Straw Hat Luffy, you are charged with the kidnapping of a noble. Please release him immediately and turn yourself in."

"Kidnapping...a noble?"

Luffy said looking at the group of marines on the shore.

"I think they mean me Luffy." Sabo said sighing. "Well it's been great seeing you again Luffy. It was just like old times."

"What are you talking about?"

"Luffy I'm going back."

Sabo made to jump down to shore but Luffy pushed him back.

"Sabo I am charged with kidnapping you. Might as well do it. Zoro Sanji tie him up! Franky get us away from here!"

Luffy smiled like a devil as his friends carried out his orders and tied his brother to the mast. As the ship started to move the marines began to shoot at the ship in an attempt to stop them.

"Usopp take out the marines!" Nami called "Luffy get off the figure head and help Usopp!"

Luffy had already taken his usual place.

"Nami I sit here whenever we leave or come to an island, I'm not stopping now!"

Luffy yelled over Usopp's attacks. Sabo watched as Nami took off her shoe and threw it with surprising accuracy at Luffy's head. As there was nothing he could do while tied to the mast Sabo watched as the Straw Hat crew went about the task of getting away from the marines. Soon they were away from the island.

"Luffy let me go!"

Sabo said as Luffy jumped off the figure head and ran over to him.

"Sabo, you had a dream when we were kids and I intend to make sure that you follow that dream! So shut up and enjoy the ride! I'm hungry.. Sanji food!"

Luffy said standing. Sabo started to yell at his younger brother as Luffy made his way over to the door.

"Luffy if you do this then you will never get a second rest! You will be hunted every second of every day! Just let me go, I'll explain everything to the marines and to my father and you can go on with your life!"

"What are you going on about?" Zoro said sitting opposite of Sabo. "Luffy know just as much as everyone else what consciences this will have. You should just relax, Luffy knows what he's doing."

Sabo was momentary shocked at the amount of confidence and faith that the crew had in Luffy. But then Luffy always had the ability to make people trust him. He had done to both Ace and himself when they were kids. Luffy stuck his head out of the door.

"No one untie him until he agrees to not go back to his father. Okay!"

"Luffy what are you talking about! Untie me!"

"No!"

Luffy stuck his tongue out and laughed as he shut the door.

"And he is still the same."

Sabo sighed. Nami, Robin and Chopper walked over and Nami asked.

"Sabo can you tell us what Luffy was like as a kid? We met Ace and he told us some but we want to know more."

"Well if you talked to Ace you probably know more than me. We were...separated after three months and this is the first time I've seen him since."

"But you are bound to know something. Just tell us what he was like as a kid, what kind of things he did."

Chopper said and would have said more but Robin put a hand on his head and he stopped.

"We are all very interested in Luffy's past, we have heard bits and pieces but never the full story. If you could just tell us about your time with him that would be enough."

Sabo considered this, why would Luffy keep his past a secret from his crew. It seemed like the past of some of the crew were common knowledge, but some were not and it seemed as though Luffy's was one of them.

"We have considered that there might be things in Luffy's past that he doesn't want to talk about. But there are thing in all of our past that we don't want to think about, please jut tell us a little about Luffy."

Sabo smiled and began telling them as to how Luffy and him had met and what had happened after. Throughout the tale Sabo watched as the expressions of the friends of his brother went from interest to happiness and disbelief.

Luffy was just about to go back out on to the deck when he heard Sabo talking, and then laughter. As he listened Luffy realized that Sabo was talking about the time they had gotten in to High Town and cleaned out three restaurants of food before going back to Grey Terminal. Luffy leaned against the door frame, closed his eyes and listened. When Sabo got to the part when Luffy had decided to leave a note saying that he would pay them back with the treasure he would collect Nami and Robin laughed.

"What treasure! We spend it all on his appetite!"

Robin said still laughing. Luffy smiled slightly at the memories and opened the door. Sabo stopped for a second but Luffy motioned for him to continue. Luffy jumped up to the second deck and walked away from the scene, it was great to remember but right now he had to think about how to keep Sabo away from his father.


	6. Chapter 6

After about one hour Robin untied Sabo from the mast.

"I thought Luffy told you not to untie me until I agreed to not go back to me father."

"He did."

"Then why did you untie me?"

"Because Luffy is being unreasonable. You shouldn't be tied to the mast, and besides we are far enough away from any island for you to go anywhere."

Robin smiled and walked away. Sabo walked over to railing and looked back towards the island they just left.

"Just how fast is this ship? The island is already out of sight."

"Of course this ship is fast! Don't underestimate Sunny! This ship is SUUUUPPER!"

Franky said taking his usual pose. Sabo smiled.

"Luffy you have made some interesting friends"

Sabo thought as he turned and walked up to the second deck where Luffy had fallen asleep on the figure head.

"He hasn't changed at all."

Sabo said jumping up and sitting next to Luffy. He looked down at the calm sleeping face of his brother and his mind went back to the time when Luffy had fallen asleep in a tree that hung over the crocodile infested river. Ace and he gone hunting and had told Luffy to stay put, but like always Luffy didn't listen. They had come back to find Luffy hanging off a branch over the river still fast asleep. He was close enough to the river that the crocodiles were jumping up trying to eat Luffy. Sabo stared out at the sea and wondered if Luffy gave his friends as much trouble as he had given his older brothers.

"Ace."

Luffy muttered in his sleep. Sabo smiled and leaned back on his elbows.

Nami watched as Robin untied Sabo. When Luffy found out he was going to be very angry at every one of them, but Robin's reasons were sound. They were far away from any island and the only way to get away from the ship without swimming was to get Franky to help you. Sabo walked to the railing and looked back to the island they had left. He said something and Franky reacted as only he could and Sabo walked away smiling. Nami watched as he sat down next to his brother and stared out at the waves, he looked down at Luffy and smiled. Nami smiled at the thought of the two brothers and the memory of her sister and then of very interesting request that Luffy has asked of her.. Luffy had come up to her a few minutes after Sabo had finished telling them about his and Luffy's past and pulled her down to his room, if any other man has done this Nami would have killed him, but Luffy was to simple minded to think of any woman in any sort of romantic light.

"Nami I need you to do something for me?"

"Is this Sabo, Ace, and you as kids?"

Nami was looking at the painting.

"Yeah, I was nearly killed that day."

"Is there any time that you were not almost killed."

Luffy thought for a second.

"No. But more importantly, Nami I really need you to do something for me."

"What Luffy?"

"I need you to help me get Sabo's father to let him go. I need you to make Sabo's father let him go."

"And how am I meant to do that exactly!"

"I don't know! I can't figure it out and you're smarter than me, so can you help me?"

"Well we don't even know where Sabo's father is!"

"He'll be following us."

"And how do you know that?"

"Sabo's father is the worst type of human being. He hates anyone who isn't a noble, and on my home island there is a trash heap, Grey Terminal, and in Grey Terminal there are people who spend their whole life there and to the nobles of Goa the people who live there are human shaped trash. But when Sabo ran away he decided to live there. But Sabo's father found Sabo and he came to Grey Terminal to get him back. If he was willing to go down to Grey Terminal, a place despised by every noble in Goa, he'll follow us."

Nami saw how serious that Luffy was about this.

"Luffy how can he follow us, we were away from the island before the marines stopped shooting."

"I don't know, we would see if someone was following us right?" Nami nodded. "But I know that Sabo's father is going to come after us. So will you help?"

"I'll think about what I could do if, and only if, Sabo's father shows up."

Nami knew she could come up with a better plan if she knew more about Sabo's father. But the she didn't and Luffy had asked her to keep Sabo out of this so she only had what Luffy had said about him. He's the worst type of human, and he hated anyone who wasn't born a noble. This one could be tricky.

Luffy woke up to the smell of the ocean and the sound of Sabo talking to him, he kept his eyes closed and let Sabo talk.

"Honestly Luffy I don't know what to do with you. You always caused trouble for Ace and me, and I know that you have done things ten times more dangerous than "kidnapping" me. But you know what my father is like, you know what lengths he will go to get me back. You know what he is willing to do, he hired a pirate to kill you and Ace, and he came from High Town to Grey Terminal!" Sabo laughed slightly and then went silent. Luffy waited for him to continue. "But I am starting to see how strong you've become, I'm having trouble believing that the weak little kid who followed Ace and I around every day, turned into someone who can take on the some of the strongest people in this world. And then there is the trust your friends have in you. You have always been good at making people trust you, but this is on a completely different level. They are willing to do anything you ask them to. Even kidnap a noble."

Luffy heard Sabo take a deep breath, he heard the sadness in his brother's voice.

"You Sabo you don't have to go back."

"Oh you're awake...how much of that did you hear?"

"From you saying you don't know what to do with me." Luffy laughed. "You really don't have to go back, I couldn't do anything about your dad before but now I can. I can take whoever he sends after you."

"I'm starting to get that. Luffy did you know that older brothers can sense when their younger brother is in danger?"

"Well considering that I am the youngest brother...no."

Sabo laughed.

"Well they do. Anyway over the last two years I could always tell when you're life was in danger."

"How?"

"I don't know, a feeling I guess. But that's not the point, the point is that I thought you would be in danger by not letting me go back, by keeping me here. But the feeling is not there, I don't feel like you're in danger."

Luffy's face broke in to a huge smile.

"Well of course not, someone like your father could never threaten me!"


	7. Chapter 7

Usopp was the first one to see the ship. It was a grand looking thing, it obviously cost money and a lot of it, and it was just the type of ship Sabo had told them to look out for. Usopp would have told everyone but for one thing, it was three in the morning and Usopp knew what would happen if he woke up Nami before six. Usopp paced in the crow's nest, trying to figure out what to do about the whole situation when someone called out to him from the deck.

"Isn't that the type of ship we should be looking for?"

Robin was looking back at the ship.

Nami was in a bad mood after Robin shook her awake, but that was the least of the crew's worries. Sabo was all in favor for handing himself over and being done with it but Luffy didn't like that idea and had him tied to a chair. Franky and Usopp were discussing what would be the best was to sink the ship, Zoro was sitting against the wall, Sanji was giving everyone coffee and toast, Chopper and Robin were keeping an eye on the ship, and Luffy was smiling the whole time.

"Luffy I'm serious, let me go."

"No. Sabo I told you that you're not going back."

Sabo glared at Luffy and tried to get out of the ropes holding him to the chair. Sabo new that if he could only reach his staff, which was in his front pocket, he could possibly break the rope.

"I say we just board them and take them all out."

Zoro said at the same time that Sanji said.

"We should take them out from here."

They were instantly at each other's throats.

"What are you talking about! Subtle? We are pirates!"

"It would be better for everyone if we just shoot them with the cannon in the figure head and be done with it!"

Zoro drew is swords and Sanji ready a kick, and a full on fight would have ensued if not for Nami. Both her fists connected Zoro and Sanji's head, leaving them on the floor with comical bumps on their heads.

"Shut up you two! Honesty!" Nami took a deep breath. "Luffy what do you think?"

Luffy's smile disappeared from his face and his face became thoughtful.

"Nami remember what we talked about?"

"Yeah."

"You figure it out yet?"

"Not yet."

"Okay then I think we should...combine the plans." Luffy jumped off the chair he was sitting in. "Zoro, Sanji, Franky you guys are going to board the ship. Usopp you man the cannons. Robin, Chopper make sure that Sabo doesn't leave."

"Luffy!"

Sabo yelled, but Luffy ignored him.

"Luffy what about me?"

Nami asked.

"Nami you are with me."

Luffy's smile returned to his face.

Luffy and Nami were walking along the rod holding the sail, well Luffy was walking, and Nami was hanging on to Luffy's back. Nami looked down and saw Usopp firing the cannons and on board the other ship, which had pulled up next to the Thousand Sunny, she could see the three sent by Luffy fighting.

"Luffy what are we doing up here!"

She cried as Luffy walked further away from the safety of the crow's nest.

"Well I figure that Sabo's father is probably on the ship and while the others are...distracting the guards you are going to go in there and convince him to leave Sabo alone."

"And how am I going to do that? I told you Luffy I haven't figured this out yet. I don't even know what sort of man Sabo's father is, I don't know how to get him to do that!"

"Nami I know you can do this! I trust you. Listen Sabo's father is a scum bag, all he cares about is status and money. Just uses that."

"Status and money, got it. Oh Luffy one more thing."

"Yeah?"

"Why are we up here? Why didn't we just board with the others?"

"I thought this would be more fun!"

Luffy said and with a smile to Nami he jumped.

Nami was still fuming as Luffy guided her through the ship.

"Why did I have to join this crew? Why couldn't I find a crew that takes things seriously? A crew that collects treasure and strikes fear in to everyone they meet!"

Nami thought not for the first time.

"Luffy where are we going."

"We are finding the most extravagant room, because that's where Sabo's father will be!"

"How do you know?"

"I don't."

Luffy looked back at Nami and smiled the same smile that made her trust him in the first place.

Unfortunately someone got in the way of Luffy's grand plan. This guy just randomly stepped out of a room and saw Luffy and Nami, he almost cried out but Nami got to him first. She trapped his hands behind his back and said.

"One word, a single sound and this guy her is going to snap your neck, understand?" The young man nodded, obviously scared out of his mind. "No you are going to go back in to..."

Nami was unable to finish as three very big men came out of the same room as the young man. The two groups just stood in silence just staring at each other, then Luffy yelled.

"RUN!" Luffy and Nami turned and ran down the hallway, as they burst out on to the deck Luffy called to the three on the deck. "Zoro, Sanji, Franky its time to go!"

It wasn't until they were back on Sunny and away from the nobles ship that Nami realized that she was still holding on to the young man. She pushed him away from her and had Franky tie him to the mast. The entire crew, except for Chopper who was still untying Sabo.

"Anyone know who this is?"

Robin asked, which receive many variations of the answer no. This apparently angered the young man enough for him to speak through is fear.

"How dare you! I have never seen anyone so rude! But then again you are pirates, worse the human trash that infects this world. How can you not know who I am? I am..."

"Annoying even when kidnapped." Sabo walked up to the mast, a look of pure hatred on his face. "Luffy you should just throw him over bored, trust me the world would be better off without him."

"Is he a noble?"

"Am I a noble! I can understand why you could mistake my brother here for a...normal" he said it like it was the worst thing in the world. "But most certainly not me."

"Wait, what did you just say?"

"That could be nothing but some one of noble birth."

"No that! The thing about your brother. Sabo is not your brother."

Luffy was about an inch from the young man's face when Sabo pulled him back.

"Luffy, when I was in Grey Terminal my parents adopted the son of some other noble, Stelly."

"And what does this guy have to do with that?"

Luffy said confused.

"This is him."

Sabo said sighing


	8. Chapter 8

While Nami fretted and worried about the outcome of kidnapping another noble, Luffy just laughed.

"This guy is your brother?" Luffy was almost dubbed over in laughter. "You let him call you his brother! Really Sabo, you obviously are losing your touch."

Sabo lunged at Luffy and fight rage between the two brothers, the Zoro and Sanji would have stopped them but seeing how both were smiling the entire time, they let it go.

"How uncivilized you are Sabo. You could at least pretend to act like a..."

Stelly fell silent after Zoro gave him a single look, shrinking back.

"You would do well not to talk. Zoro loves to kill people he doesn't like."

Nami lied. Stelly obviously did not catch the lie as he gave a squeak of fear.

The fight between Sabo and Luffy ended in a tie, although both claimed to have won.

"What are you talking about Luffy? Look at that black eye, I clearly won!"

"No way! I broke your nose! I mean look at it, I won!"

"You're dreaming!"

"Just how hard did I hit you?"

This friendly banter went on until Nami finally lost control and exploded at her caption.

"Luffy! This is no time for you to act like this! We have two kidnapped nobles on board and you know that they will be coming for us!" Nami, infuriated by Luffy's smile and his everything will be all right attitude, pulled Luffy to his feet and shook him. "Now take this seriously!"

"I am taking this seriously Nami."

Luffy said after retrieving his hat, which had fallen off when Nami shook him.

"No you are not!"

"Yes, I am Nami." Luffy's face took on an unusual expression, complete seriousness. "We could tie him up, stick him in a row boat and leaving him floating. Someone will find him right?"

"Or he could starve to death."

Sanji said grimly.

"And that's a bad thing?"

Sabo asked quietly earning a glare from Sanji.

"Yes it is."

"We could leave him food and water."

Luffy said.

"Luffy I saw guys like this on Baratie, they don't know how to conserve food. No matter how much we leave him it would be gone in a few days."

"Okay. So leaving him out at sea is not a good idea?"

Luffy said head tilted to the side, obviously confused.

"We could drop him off at the next island." Usopp suggested. "Nami how far away is the next island?"

"I don't know. A couple days? A week?"

"I will not stay on this ship for an entire week!"

Stelly said, once again speaking past his fear, and once again he fell silent when Zoro glared at him.

"You are going to do whatever it is that we decide you are going to do."

Luffy growled. Stelly's annoying attitude was slowly pushing Luffy past the line that should never be crossed. At this point the only thing going through Luffy's head was.

"This guy is just like those nobles who tried to buy Camie and shot Hachi. I want to punch him, I want to completely destroy him."

The only reason Luffy didn't punch Stelly was that Luffy could see the use in keeping him around, he only hoped that Nami saw it as well.

"Well I can't think of anything else...I'm hungry. Sanji! Food!"

Sabo saw the look on Luffy's face as he walked back in to the ship. He knew that Luffy was planning something with Nami just as he knew that Luffy wasn't going to give up on him not going back. Sabo could have said something, could have asked Luffy what was going through his head, but he didn't. Something in Sabo just didn't want to know, he liked being on this ship, he liked the craziness that seemed to prevail every day, and he loved spending time with Luffy again seeing just how much his brother had grown.

Lunch started in the dining room but ended out on deck, mostly because Sanji and Zoro started to fight and ended breaking the table, and while most of the crew just ignored Stelly Chopper tried to be nice to him. Chopper came up to Stelly with a plate full of food.

"Here, you should eat."

Chopper said smiling as only he could. There was a crash and the Straw Hat crew fell silent. Chopper was on the ground, the food meant for Stelly covered him from head to toes.

"Don't even come near me you...you...freak!"

Luffy finally snapped. Abandoning his food Luffy pulled Sabo off the mast, snapping the ropes as he did so. Rage coated Luffy's features, a vein in his neck pulsed.

"Don't you ever talk to Chopper like that! And don't you ever! Ever! Lay a hand on him!"

Stelly lost all color in his face and fell unconscious. Disgusted Luffy threw Stelly away from him. The whole crew could see how angry Luffy had become, they had only seen Luffy this angry on a few occasions, and not even they hadn't seen Luffy this angry. This was a different anger and they did not know where it came from. Sabo, of course, knew why Luffy was so angry with Stelly. A noble from their home island hurting the people Luffy cared about again, worse one from the family that stole Sabo from Ace and Luffy. It was no small wonder that Luffy was so angry, no small wonder that he lost his cool like he did.

"Luffy, you're bleeding."

Nami was looking at Luffy's hand. Luffy was clenching his fist so tightly had his nails had cut in to his palms. Luffy looked at his hand, not quite seeing the red that flowed across his skin, he closed his fingers gently over the small cuts, turned, and walked back in to the ship his head bowed. Nami stood to follow his but Sabo grabbed her wrist.

"Don't. Let him cool down first."

Nami gave Luffy and hour before going down to see him.

"Luffy?" Nami asked knocking on the door. There was no answer. "Luffy, are you alright?" Still no answer. "Luffy I'm coming in."

Nami slowly opened the door and gasped in surprise. Luffy's room was competently destroyed. The dresser was face down on the floor drawers where thrown around the room, the punching bag was ripped in two, and all that remand of the desk were pieces of wood here and there. The person who occupied the room was currently lying in his hammock, hat over his eyes.

"Luffy are you alright?" Nami could tell that Luffy was awake by the way he was breathing. It was far too deep for him to be sleeping. "Luffy I know you're awake."

"Nami I don't want to talk about it."

"Okay so we don't talk about what happened. Will you at least let me bandage your hand?"

Nami held up a roll of bandages and a bottle of disinfectant she had gotten from Chopper. Luffy sighed and swung his feet on to the floor, pushed his hat back, and looked at Nami. She received a surprise, the eyes that Nami expected of Luffy were gone, and now his eyes were dark and cold. It took a second for Nami to recover.

"If you want me to bandage your hands you're going to have to let me see them."

Luffy held out his hands without saying a word, Nami gasped slightly. Instead of just four small cuts from his nails, now Luffy had a bunch of small piece of wood stuck under his skin.

"Luffy you really need to be more careful." Nami said sighing. "You're lucky I keep these on me at all times."

Nami pulled out tweezers seemingly from nowhere.

"Why should I be careful when I got friends like you?"

Luffy said quietly, not even smiling. Nami didn't respond, but kept pulling out the splinters. Luffy watched Nami work, not saying anything, he just watched her. It wasn't until Nami began to wrap the bandages around his hands that he finally spoke.

"Nami I think I have an idea."

"An idea about what?"

"How to get Sabo's father to leave us alone, to leave Sabo alone."


	9. Chapter 9

"I don't like this idea." Nami said standing next to Luffy on the deck. "I really don't like this idea."

Luffy didn't answer vocally but his body language said it all. His jaw was set, shoulders stiff, fist clenched, and his eyes were cold.

"Luffy. Are you sure you want to do this?"

Sabo said coming up beside his brother, once again Luffy did not answer.

"I see the ship."

Robin said coming down from the crow's nest.

"What if they just fire at us! What if they don't even stop!"

Nami started freaking out.

"They won't."

This was the first thing Luffy had said since he nearly killed Sabo the night before.

"How do you know!"

"We have two nobles on board, They won't fire on us."

"Luffy you don't know that!"

"Nami don't." Sabo said. "He's right, my father won't fire on this ship until he's sure there is something in it for him."

Luffy was right, the noble ship did not fire but pulled up next to the Thousand Sunny.

"Straw Hat Luffy, you are to release the nobles you are hold hostage and turn yourself in to the authorities."

"I want to speak to the father of Stelly!"

Luffy called out to the other ship.

"I will say again. Straw Hat Luffy~~~"

"I will only say this one more time. I want to speak to speak to father of Stelly!"

Luffy yelled, infusing his Haki into the words. Two of the men on the other ship feinted from it. The other man looked at his crew mates and ran into the ship, soon a man walked out on to the deck with an annoyed look on his face.

"Sabo is that him?"

"Yeah?"

Luffy growled.

"What is it that you want, Trash?"

"Trade. I give you Stelly, I keep Sabo."

"I know you don't I?" Luffy lifted his chin in defiance, but did not answer. "Ah yes, you were in Grey Terminal with that devils child." Luffy's eyes brows formed a v. "And now you want me to allow you to take Sabo, my son, away. Didn't you try this before?"

Luffy turned, told Nami something, walked to Zoro, told him something and then walked in to the ship. Zoro stared at where his caption had gone, sighed, shook his head, and went to where Stelly was tied to the mast. He unsheathed one sword, cut through the ropes, pulled Stelly to his feet and pushed him to the railing. Zoro then held the sword to Stelly's throat and glared at the men on the other ship.

"You have been giving to choices by our caption. You can talk his offer and get to keep one son, or you can refuse the offer and watch as Zoro here kills Stelly, throws his bloody body to the Sea Kings, and we sail off with Sabo. You lose both sons and gain nothing." The man on the other boat glared daggers at the Straw Hats. "You have three days to deiced, if we don't see you in three days times then Stelly will die."

"Wait how am I supposed to find you?"

"You've been doing a good job finding us so far." Nami said smiling. "Franky."

The cyborg turned and walked over to the wheel

"Coup De Burst."

Franky yelled out and the Thousand Sunny shot forward.

"Luffy! Luffy open this door!"

Sabo was standing in the hall way pounding on Luffy's door.

"Sabo, it's not going to work."

Nami said as she was walking to her room. Sabo ignored her and continued pounding on the door.

"Luffy! Open up this damn door!"

"Sabo, if banging on his door got Luffy's attention we probably wouldn't be as famous as we are."

Nami said patting Sabo on the shoulder.

"Nami quick question. How the hell did you deal with his...unruliness for this long?"

Nami smile slightly.

"Well most of us hated him at first, but somehow he got us all to trust him."

"Yeah, Luffy does that."

Sabo muttered.

Two day and twenty hours later Zoro spotted the ship, he walked down to Luffy's room, stepped over the sleeping Sabo, and knocked on Luffy's door.

"Luffy, their here."

Was all he said before going back to his weights. Luffy opened to door and nearly tripped on his brother.

"Sabo? Did you sleep out here?"

"Yes, why didn't you come to the door?"

"You were yelling, I don't like yelling people. You know that." Luffy gave Sabo a confused look, and walked up to the deck knocking on doors as he went. "Sabo can you check Nami's room. If she's in there tell her to come on deck."

He called over his shoulder.

The noble man one the other ship was infuriated, even Luffy could see that.

"You are robbing me of one of my sons."

"No I am robbing you of a social ladder. You never cared about Sabo, you just wanted him to help you get higher in society." Luffy said as everyone stared at Luffy in surprise that he even knew what a social ladder was. "What?" He said looking at his friends around him. "Fine, you know Robin you explain this."

Luffy turned and lay down on the grassy lawn. Nami rolled her eyes.

"Like our surprising caption said, you never cared about Sabo. You wanted a kid so that you can get status, but now you Stelly, well had Stelly. You don't need two sons, you only need one, so why would you risk the son that is most likely to help you for the one who is most likely to completely destroy any chance you have?"

"I realize this. But~~~"

"No buts. You were given two choices by pirates. You will choose one and you leave, you cannot choose another there is no 'None of the above' option. So what is your choice?"


	10. Chapter 10

Luffy lay on the grass covering Sunny's deck, an unusual feeling closing his throat and making it hard to breath.

"No buts. You were given two choices by pirates, you will choose one and you will leave. You cannot choose both, there is no 'None of the above' option. So what is your choice?"

Luffy heard Robin say. He was glad that he had chosen Robin to speak on his behalf. She was the only person on the crew who could remain calm during this. Luffy could hear Sabo's father stuttering in anger but he still did not answer. Luffy finally realized what he was feeling, he was nervous.

"Tell me why I shouldn't just call the Marines?"

Sabo's father asked.

"Because if the Marines cannot catch our Caption in Impel Down what makes you think that Marines could catch us?" Robin let her words sink in, and then moved aside so that the people on the other ship could see Stelly tied to the mast with Zoro's sword at his throat. "You have ten seconds to choose, one son, or no son at all?"

Luffy's heart sped up, this was the crucial moment in his plan.

"I choose~~~"

_The next morning._

Luffy was sitting on Sunny's figure head looking out over the blood red sunset. Yesterday had been stressful and now he only wished that he had come up with a better plan.

"Luffy. It's time." Nami said, concern coloring her voice. Luffy had left quickly after the decision had been made and had been holed up in his room ever since. Luffy turned to look at his navigator. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Yeah...it's what he wants."

Luffy jumped off the figure head and walked over to his brother. According to Sabo it had been a miracle that his father made the decision to let him stay with the pirates.

"So you're ready to go?"

"Yeah."

Sabo was standing next to the small boat that Franky had quickly made. He had a bag of clothes on his back and in the boat was a big bag of food and a barrel of water.

"You sure you want to go? You are welcome to stay with us."

Luffy suggested with a smile forming on his lips.

"Yeah Sabo, there's always room in the Straw Hat's for someone else to join up."

Chopper said smiling up at Luffy's brother.

"No I have to go out to sea on my. I want to go out and have my own adventure, find my own nakama, have my own crew." Sabo turned to the sad form of his brother. "Luffy, even though we may be separated by miles of sea we will always be brothers."

Luffy wrapped his rubber arms around his brother, crushing him in a bear hug.

"Luffy...I...can't...breath!"

Sabo said trying to pry these brothers' arms off his torso. He looked to the Straw Hat crew for help but they only laughed at the situation.

Finally Luffy let go of his brother and helped him lower his boat in the water. The last image of his brother that Luffy received was Sabo standing in the small boat and waving to him.

"Luffy are you sure about this?"

Nami asked again.

"Yeah. Sabo's strong, he'll be fine."

"Are you going to miss him?"

"Yep." Luffy raised his hand and waved one last time to his brother and sighed. "Sanji I'm hungry. Is it lunch yet?"


End file.
